Lost and Found
by Xianxian
Summary: What if Saitama and Genos met five years earlier before their own life-changing events happened? Would it be the same? SaiGeno/SaiFubu- Rated M for future chapters
1. Chapter 1

Hi! Thank you for giving your time to read my fanfic. English is not my mother tongue but i 'll appreciate criticisms for it.

This is a SaiGeno fic by the way. Enjoy!

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"I'm sorry, but I think you're not suitable for this job." The employer sternly informed me as he tossed the my application letter on the table.

Sighing, I quietly walked out of the room and of the building. Frustration slowly building up when suddenly my stomach growls for food. Today is december and it's cold - hence deciding eat at a nearest udon restaurant downtown. The sun shines bright like the day is fulfilling for everyone. The breeze caressed my skin as it passes through the city. Walking past some people and cars, thoughts popped up in my mind. Come to think of it, this is my fifth try of the year and yet no company still would accept my application. I am definitely losing my patience. They all said that I'm not qualified enough to reach their standards. I wonder, what kind of standards do they actually expect from their future employees? I know myself that I'm hardworking...if motivated.

Oh.

Maybe I guess that's the reason why? They doubt I'm not motivated enough for their company. Well, they do have a point. Motivation is hard to attain especially if you don't want to do things you don't want in the first place. Consistent routines suck. And I'm pretty much bad at it. Probably because I tend to procrastinate a lot and repetitive tasks are annoying. I want something new. Something that can quench my thirst from boredom. Something extraordinary.

Too much thoughts clouded my head that I did not notice a speeding car going straight to my direction. Luckily, the driver is fast to react to the situation, steering the wheels forcefully away from me. He angrily stepped out of the vehicle with a glaring stare, pointing his finger and began scolding me.

"Hey you! What do you think you're doing?! I almost hit you! Didn't you see the red light for pedestrian late is still ongoing?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I replied, flabbergasted. "Oh- sorry." I bowed down for what had happened. My absent-mindedness causes me harm all the time.

The man took a deep breath for a while and accepted my apology. " Alright. Just be alert next time. You could've been killed if you're not on your feet and fines would fuck me so bad. You're lucky I'm in a hurry." He didn't bother anymore to hear my reply and just drove away. With that, I resumed walking.

Thinking about it, I just realized he's a good man after all. So there's still like him in this world, huh. Not that I care however, it's nice to acknowledge people with their good deeds from time to time.

I stopped wandering in the streets when numerous televisions outside of a certain electronic shop peeked my interest. All of them are currently showing a news about a person who saved a bank being robbed by some dangerous armed thieves. Those theives are now being held by authorities. The savior's name is Blake Stevens and is now revered as a hero nationwide.

Hero.

What an ambitious title.

But what is the feeling of being one? Is it exciting? Is it fun?

 _"Okay children. Please tell me your names and what you want to be when you grow up. One by one." The middle-aged woman clapped her hands to bring the attention of the whole class to her._

 _The room is filled with different colorful toys displayed on the shelves. Posters about alphabetical letters with some pictures of things and animals are aligned on the wall. The my classmates are doing their own businesses._

 _The kids in front are first to be called out. Many are too confident and some are quite shy. Their ambitions are almost the same - to be a teacher, fireman, artist, astronaut-_

 _"Okay little one near the window, it's your turn. Come, come!"_

 _There are like five kids near the window, and that includes myself. Confused, I ask her if she is referring to me, "M-me?"_

 _"Yes baby. You!" Her vibrant smile...is sort of creepy. I don't know why, but it's really creepy._

 _I quietly stood up and forced myself to go in front of the class. The presence of people irks me, like I am suffocating from a burning building. But of course, I am a child, therefore I have no idea what kind of feeling is that._

 _Pursing my lips, my hands are starting to shake terribly. I want to go home._

 _"Little one. Please tell us your name and what you want to be when you grow up. Come on, don't be shy." Honestly, her encouragement made my situation worse._

 _It's my first time introducing myself in front of many people. I find it uncomfortable, so I responded with my head looking down the floor."S-Saitama."_

 _"Ooooh." She nodded. "Okay Saitama, so what do you want to be when you grow up?" She patiently repeated her words as she wait for my next response._

 _"...I-" I tried regaining my posture and breathe deeply to calm myself down. I paused for a while, clenching my fists then said, "Hero. I-I want to be a hero!"_

 _Deafening silence filled the room then followed by bursts of laughter. For them, it seems that they think I must be silly. Like it's impossible to happen. This time, I'm not embarassed, I felt insulted._

 _The teacher raised her brow. "Hero? You do not like a real one?"_

 _"I want to be a hero." I firmly stood by my own words._

 _What's a real one by the way? Are they saying that being a hero isn't realistic?_

After an hour walking, I finally saw an udon restaurant. The size of the building is small for it to accomodate twenty people. Its walls are made from a mix of concrete and wood, the windows are wide open, and the floor seems to be wooden and shiny. The establishment almost looked like an express.

I entered without further ado and noticed the most of the costumers are high school students. Makes sense because it's just four houses away from a school. Though I did not expect it's a hit. All seats are almost filled as more students walked in the entrance. Not wanting to wait and watch the remaining seats to be completed taken, I rushed to the counter then inspected what the menu has to offer. Different dishes with different prices, I meticulously browsed for more, desiring for delicious meal for a cheap price. If it even exist.

Welcome to the life of unemployed.

It took me two and a half minutes to decide and finally ordered a nabeyaki udon in the end. After I got my food, I immediately snatched the last remaining table with two unoccupied chairs located at the left-most corner. I placed my meal on the table and grabbed the chopsticks, tried splitting it into two cleanly but the sticks didn't obey. It is now asymmetrical in shape. Welp. Whatever. Anyway, I started eating.

The thick white noodles is chewy and the mushroom in it is tender, comforting my taste buds. The vegetables are soft, the pink and white steamed fish cake and tempura are also savory too. It's like I've never consumed a good udon like this before.

Or maybe I'm just hungry.

I don't know.

Meanwhile, a student approached my table and asked me. "Excuse me, is there anyone sitting here?" He pointed at the other chair.

Okay, it does not bother me so I'll let him. Besides, I do not own that seat either. "O- no."

"Thank you." The young lad bowed down and sat.

He has a dirty blond hair with a matching honey gold colored eyes. My estimation of his height would probably be 5"5' feet and his age between 12-14 years old. Fairly young. Also, he have this milky white skin. Is he a foreigner?

In addition, why is he alone?

Wait.

Why do I care by the way?

Silence.

Fine, I take it back. It does actually bother me.

For a kid like him, I'd say he eats fast. He finished his food right away even though I'm way ahead of him. On the other hand, I observed that he's timidly staring at me. This kid might be onto something because my hunch says so. And I hate it. I can't finish my udon with this.

Five minutes have passed and he's still eyeing on me. "What? You need something?" I gave him an I'm-so-done-with-your-shit gaze just to get this over with and surprisingly, he is unfazed. He appears serious.

"Yes." Seeing that as a signal of opportunity, he puts out some papers out of his bag and handed it to me. "I am tasked to execute a survey about the dreams and goals of people outside of our school and present the data with my own analysis to the class in the next two days." He reached out his bag once again to get a pen for me to write with. "I hope you can help me to progress on my assignment. And I hope I'm not a bother."

You are. You really are.

I truly want to decline, except his hopeful eyes makes my guilt to consume me if I refuse.

Sighing once again, I agreed, "Okay." Taking the form and scanning the pages, shit, these are too damn many. Why did I took it?

He quickly stood and bowed down. "Thank you! I appreciate your voluntary help. Taking my form means so much to me. Each data is very important and I...Blah blah blah"

Voluntary?

And he talks way too much. It's irritating me.

"You wouldn't have to worry about the credits. I'll make sure you will be included in the list and I-"

Too many words. Have to cut his talking now. "Could you just go straight to the point? You talk excessively. And aside from that, this form of yours has too many questions and I can't just finish this within the day. I have other things to do, in case you have no idea."

"Thank you. I grateful that you accepted helping me. You don't have to fill the whole thing right away. I'm planning to pick it up the next day for you to answer all of the questions carefully. I have my cellphone number written down on the first page so you can call me if you're done." And he's beaming with happiness now. Great. What a hassle.

"Okay, I get it. Just go to my place after I called you...Uh, what's your name by the way? So I can save it in my contacts."

"It's Genos, mister."

Right. Genos.

Sounds like an Autobot name.

Putting the form inside my suitcase, I closed it then motioned to the door to go home. The youngster tailed behind me and asked, "How about you mister?"

"Saitama."

"Ahh."

The school bell ringing far away reminds him to go back. It's past lunch time. "I have to head back to my class now. I'll see you later Saitama-san."

"Yeah, yeah." I nonchalantly dismissed him and parted ways, walking in the opposite direction.

It is the day I first met Genos.

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Tell me if you have taken an interest to see the next chapter. I'll upload one sometime later.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two - An inside look of Saitama's life.

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At last, I finally arrived at my apartment. Being exposed into lots of people exhausts me. Thus, the best thing to resolve this is to sleep and recharge. My body is worn out easily. I always have this kind of feeling, I don't know what it's called though. I fumbled with my keys and unlocked the door, sprinting to my futon and throwing my suitcase away, not caring if it cracked when it hit the floor. Or cleaning my place as it is very messy. Crumpled papers everywhere, plates that haven't been washed yet, used clothes that are stacked on the chair near the table beside the wall, mangas scattered across the floor, and the trash bin that is always full. All I need now is rest. I didn't even bother to change my clothes anymore. Plopping on the soft bedding, arms wide open, I recalled the questionnaire given to me by that kid Gen...What was his name again? Genchar? Gengar? Gelo? Gen-

Ah, nevermind. I'm exhausted.

I slowly closed my eyes and let my consciousness wander into deep sleep.

.

.

.

.

I can't sleep.

Four hours have passed when I learned that I've been staring at the dusty ceiling the whole time. My body wants to sleep in peace but my brain won't stop blabbering. Can't make it shut up. Stupid random stuff going in my head for hours. Too much to think about, too many plans, too many ideas. Honestly, I've always wanted to share these thoughts, although I doubt anyone else will be willing to listen until the crack of dawn. Sometimes, I can't even tell if I'm still dreaming or awake. Without any alarm, I can't tell when I woke up. But I always fall asleep when I feel accomplished.

Oh.

I guess that's it.

Being alone doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like solitude. I feel tranquil. I've already accepted my life as a hermit, a person who's isolated from others. People call me weird and that's fine. I like being weird. Furthermore, their opinions aren't important so their harsh insults doesn't get to me. What matters most is to reach my goals. To have an economic stability, fall in love, enough to get married and start a family, or to be a hero. I've always dreamed to live the way I want. Even so, I'm always rejected when I try to apply as a salaryman. Who knows if I have the capability to fall in love. I am oblivious to love. I haven't the faintest idea of what it feels like. In addition, they said that being a hero is a ridiculous thing. I'm losing hope.

What was the point of going through this?

I tried remembering happy moments, but they can't be worth what I'm going through right now. I know I'm being whiny. And I also know it's not my fault, but I can't do anything about this. My emotions are uncontrollable, more like an outburst. I can be 0-100 real quick. I always see people who seem depressed and when they got some money from their boyfriend or girlfriend, they become instantly happy. Why can't happiness be that easy for me to achieve?

Death.

I am not afraid of death. I tend to have a different view about it. I view death as necessary and static. Death is just a natural occurrence. Don't get me wrong, I do feel upset when someone close to me dies. I do some crazy rationalizing and go for that sense of detachment. When I think about it, I'm starting to feel somewhat paranoid. Then later I'll just calm down, as if nothing happened. I just don't know what's wrong with me.

I feel this way constantly, day and night. But it's more rampant at night. My bouts of depression are quite often that it's eating my emotions away, obliterating any kind or form that try to weasel their ways into my mind. It's almost like all of my logical senses and clear thinking are gone. I'm not being myself. I feel indifferent. Or is this just the way I really am?

Damn it. This is bad.

I let myself wallow in despair once again.

I rose from my bed and grabbed my suitcase, putting out the survey. Answering this can distract me away from my negative thoughts. I thought. I read the title quietly and moved my lips in a synchronizing manner.

 **Survey Tackling the Dreams and Hopes of People.**

I, Genos, is conducting a research into what kinds of dreams and hopes each person has. It will take more than half an hour to complete this survey. All responses are anonymous and the respondent will get credited.

Write to the surveyor at

(insert email here, the site doesn't allow any)

and will gladly send to you the analysis free of charge. It would be greatly appreciated if you pass this along to someone you know who might also benefit from the results.

Sincerely,

Genos

Student at New Evolution High

\+ 1 987 305 2880

Wow. Talk about dreams and hopes.

I answered the basic questions hastily like age, sex, civil status, work and etc. Moving on to the real questions, it asks if you want to set the given situations as your life goals. It ranges from no chance from definitely. Put a check mark of your preferred range. Sounds easy.

1.) **Celebrities will want to be your friend.** _No chance._

2.) **Each day of your work is fulfilling.** _Definitely. I want to have fun in doing the things I want. And for me, that is fulfilling._

3.) **Everyone you know loves you.** _Moderate chance, if he meant my acquaintances are included. Some even require their friends to reciprocate an emotional response and I'm not good at that._

4.) **Someone will write a book about your life.** _Do I want that? I want to be recognized but I don't like to hog all the attention to the extent it invades my privacy._

5.) **Whenever you have a problem, your friends will drop what they are doing to support you.** _Slight chance. I can deal with my problems by myself._

6.) **You will appear regularly on TV**. _No chance._

7.) **You will be famous.** _Slight chance._

8.) **You will be important in political circles.** _No chance._

9.) **You will be on a magazine list of the sexiest people alive.** _Wtf. No chance._

10.) **You will be the president of your city.** _No chance. I prefer to live in the background. I don't like to lead._

11.) **You will create a great work of art, music, or poetry.** _Moderate chance. I'm actually fond of artsy stuff. Like manga art._

12.) **You will create world peace.** _Moderate chance. Since it comes along when you're a hero._

13.) **You will develop a TV show or a movie.** _No chance._

14.) **You will do only things you really like to do, and nothing else.** _Definitely_.

15.) **You will enjoy everyday to the max.** _Definitely. Oh, come on. I mean who doesn't? I've been longing to be happy for a long time now._

16.) **You will have 10 close friends.** _Slight chance. Five is a lot for me...Or as long as I can connect with them._

17.) **100 friends.** _Oh hell no. No chance._

18.) **You will have a million dollars or more.** _Very good chance. But it's not my top priority. Being stable is enough._

19.) **You will have at least 50 lovers in your lifetime.** _No chance. I'm not a fuckboy._

20.) **You will have the closest family relationship imaginable.** _Uhh moderate? I don't want a clingy and dependent family member._

And that's only the first half. More to go.

I need to take a break. Tea.

.

 _Two city presidents namely Hitomi Kobayashi of City H and Shiro Akutsugi of City G are officially in bad terms with each other and recently declared a warfare, 8:56 a.m. earlier. The war is scheduled to start the next month, which is January. No details were given out as to why they quarreled last City Presidential Meeting last June. Consequently, residents from the stated cities are advised to evacuate as soon as they can. Panic spread out through the other neighboring cities as well. Evacuation centers are expected to open the day after tomorrow._

"Good thing I'm living far away from those cities. I don't have to worry that much." I unknowingly sipped my tea and spat it out in my astonishment. "Ack!" I forgot that the beverage is still hot. I think I burned my tongue...

I didn't intend to watch more news and carried myself to the table where the survey is placed, then switched off the television. Shit, I haven't finished the other one yet and the kid will visit tomorrow. I'm now regretting my decision. Really.

.

.

.

3:30 o'clock in the morning and here I am - wide awake. The survey is done, but my brain isn't. Thoughts still flow like a rampaging river. Should I buy sleeping pills? My eyebags are getting darker and deeper...The air grows cold, cold, cold and there's nothing I can do aside from sending shivers to my skin. Reddened and almost dried eyes are open until the dusk of dawn. My insomnia is on a full swing. Sleeping pattern is screwed. I feel dizzy, wanting to bang my head to the wall. The worst part is that it's been going for about a year already. Got no money and time to see a doctor. Rent adds more weight to my burden. How am I supposed to pay when I got no job? Oh goddamit, stop thinking! Just go to sleep! You can think about it tomorrow...Aaaaaa

Someone shoot me.

.

 _Knock knock!_

I opened the door to see the blond kid in front of me.

"Good morning Saitama...san..." Genos gaped at the sight. "Saitama-san are you okay? You don't seem well..."

Head feeling heavy and light at the same time, I laughed out my situation. "Ahaha..ha...ha..."

I want to sleep.

* * *

If you have any suggestions, comment away. Constructive criticism is also welcome.

In case you know MBTI, I typed Saitama as an INTP. He clearly shows it in the show. I'm trying my best to make him stay in character but there may be times that he'll be out of character due to the fact I'm INTP/INFP. I don't know what my type really is, but I'm leaning towards INTP right now. You can take the test at to know yours if you are ever curious about your type. By the way, Genos is obviously an ESTJ.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. There are more to come.


	3. Chapter 3 - Lunch

I'm very sorry I updated this chapter late. I'm in a constant battle between procrastination.

Moving on, this is the first part of Chapter 3 - Lunch

Enjoy.

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I froze in the hallway, staring at the numbered doorplate. For a moment, I felt uncertain that this was the place he was telling me to go to, perhaps an hour before. His instructions are quite confusing to follow. Looking down at my watch, I realized that too much time had passed.

I breathed in deeply, once, and exhaled. Then took three steps and knocked two times, gently with pressure. The door opened, showing a figure of the person Ive been looking for.

"Good morning Saitama...san..." I gaped at the sight. With his appearance looking horrible, I reluctantly asked, "Saitama-san are you okay? You don't seem well..."

It was an awkward meeting. We stood there, uncomfortably studying one another. The man, presumably in his twenties is dressed in pajamas. The jet black hair, brown eyes and the clean angles of his thin face seemed a little different from the image I had seen yesterday. He looked less lively, and unruly. His lips are parched.

"Ahaha..ha...ha" He just laughed it out, although it's pretty clear to me that he's not well. From the looks of it, he might be having a sleep deprivation, though I did not intend to bring it up. Instead, I decided to say nothing.

"Ah- Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He waved his hands slowly to dismiss my concern. It took a while for him to process my question. "Huh?"

"You called me an hour ago and asked me to come over here and pick up the survey I had given to you yesterday."

"Oh. Uhhh...What's your name again?"

"Genos."

Mouth slightly ajar, a sudden realization hit him. He replied, "Ahhh...I kind of forgot where I put that the form. Would you like to stay inside until I managed to find it?" He scratched his head in embarrassment.

I nodded. "Yes." Stepping inside the apartment and shut the door behind me.

I turned to face the room.

 _My eyes sought out the details._

Everything's out of order although its not the first time I examined a disheveled place with a kind of wonder. Drawn blinds. The plate with some tamago and rice leftovers with a broken chopstick beside it. The dusty television. The undone futon. The drinking glasses. The different books of different sorts lying around; manga titles, novels, newspapers and some encyclopedias.

You must be reading a lot, Saitama-san. Thats amazing. I remarked.

"…Thanks." He handed me a cup of tea and a saucer, gesturing towards the table. Please sit down. His tone was neutral, as if he were speculating about my comment.

"Of course." I did what I was told.

Patiently waiting, I looked around to find something that can entertain me a little while he's busy looking for it. As I roll my eyes around, a certain book on the table caught my interest. It's like the light emanating from the window directs me to notice it. The cover page shows some odd, cryptic, colorful doodles of different irregular shapes. The title is 'Humanity's Last Stand' by Mary Sanders. Before I reach it with my own hand, I asked Saitama-san's permission first.

"Uhm. Would you mind if I read this, Saitama-san?"

"Just Saitama. And nah, go ahead."

"Thank you...Saitama." It was awkward for me calling him by his name without the honorific. I was taught to use it even when I was a little child.

"Just tell me if you need something."

"Yes."

.

On the first margin was a note with completely illegible, except for the last phrase which said, 'all things risen from the soil will eventually return where it originally came from' I tilted my head in confusion mixed with curiosity and began flipping through the pages. My eyebrows furrowed as I saw scratchy images of brain, eyes, people and some animals. I cannot comprehend what's written on each pages. It appears to be deeply philosophical yet dark and psychological at the same time.

"I...don't get it."

I shook my head and continued reading. On page 367, I saw a drawing of a person surrounded by bloodied carcasses. Below it was a tiny note I could barely read. It says, 'Are you unhappy? You're a hero.'

"Is this book for psychopaths?" I wondered. My eyes were momentarily caught by some drawings of running people, a burning city and an insane contraption. Then I saw some more phrases which says 'all things run in full circle', 'broken pathway', 'love of this world' and on the top of page 582 in bold letters, 'Die'.

On page 656 was a dying calf that looks like it's being blinded by light. No phrases or words written along the picture.

On page 749, there were repetitive angry-looking scribbles that slowly fades word by word. I strained my eyes and leaned my head forward to discern the small print. It says 'Dawn'. Underneath was a phrase, 'you'll be fine'. The next page has a clear artwork of a sheperd and his sheep aeparated from each other.

Because I can't decipher the message behind this, I frowned in annoyance. Reading this novel somehow makes me shudder a little but also kind of engrossed into it. I closed the book and took a sip of my tea.

There has to be a sense behind the written and drawn things from this book. From my viewpoint, it relates to an apocalyptic day where everything and everyone is dying, though I felt I was closer to something else; something that would make a concrete sense to me. I opened the book again and flipped through the middle page and found myself at page 965. This portion is distinguishable among the other ones I have read earlier. There's an elegantly penned verse that reads, 'A formidable soul shall never burn out. It kills the fire. It soars higher. The soul encircles the world. At the skies, it feels the stimulation.' If I still have bodily hair, I would feel it on my forearm standing as I whispered weakly, 'That's what the gods said.'

I slammed the book shut out of frustration. I looked for the copyright date on the first page but it seems that it has been torn out by someone. It has no importance anyway so I disregarded it, putting it on the table where it's originally placed.

"Ah! There you are."

I turned around to see Saitama giving me the survey. I happily took it and started reviewing the contents. Based from his answers, I can say that he's an odd person. His thinking is far from anyone else I've met. Not even my parents.

"What's wrong with you earlier?" He asked.

"I found the book confusing. I didn't understand anything on it at all."

"Ah. Yeah, it was confusing, but once you get a hold on it, I think it will be easy for you to decode the underlying messages."

"That's the point. I'm bad at decoding messages. By the way, why is the publication date removed?"

"Some old lady just gave it to me, so I don't know."

"Ahh."

"Anyways, when you saw the form, what are you smiling about?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I just find your answers admirable."

"Eh, really?"

"Yes."

He squinted his eyes disbelievingly. "Why did you say so? Don't tell me you already have your response?"

"A- No. I'm not done yet. I can email it to you later if you really want it."

"I have no email. I can't even afford my own laptop or an internet connection." He said dryly.

"...I see...How about we eat lunch together outside? I mean, I can't give you my response immediately so...You don't have to worry about the expense. My treat."

His eyes brightened in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Why not?"

A big 'o' formed on his mouth and let out a short sound of delight. He trotted past me to open the door with a smile on his face.. An excitement is visible in his reddish eyes. "What are you waiting for Genos, let's go!"

"Yes!" I quickly stood up, packed my things and walked towards him. "But." I stopped in my tracks upon remembering that he's still wearing his pajamas. "You're still wearing that though." I pointed my finger towards his clothing.

"Oh." He looked like a light bulb just shone in his head.

* * *

"There you are, Saitama-san." I yawned as I watch him lock the door of his apartment. Apparently, he's wearing a casual blue hoodie jacket.

"You're still calling me that? What happened to just calling me by name withou-"

"But it feels right when I call your name with an honorific." I insisted and moved closer to him. "Come, follow me. I'll show you the way." I said, lifting a finger telling him to follow. I turned around and walked away, a moderately fast walking pace as he stood there for a while. After a certain distance, he followed after me.

"Where is that restaurant located? Is it any far?" He asked.

"A little. But not that far, I suppose."

The streets are busy. Cars are beeping their horns at each other because of the heavy traffic while people are hurriedly walking beside the the road. It's rush hour.

We were quietly walking along with the rest when he asked something all of a sudden.

"Genos, how old are you?"

"Fourteen. Why?"

"I'm curious."

"How about you, Saitama-san?"

"Could you just-"

"Hush." I said simply. "I'm just asking your age. Nothing else."

"Then I will not say it unless you call me by my name _alone_." He implied the word alone, teasing me.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. How old are you _Saitama_?"

"Good." He puffs his chest out proudly as a sign of victory. "I'm twenty years old now."

I frowned, shaking my head. "I never thought you're this stubborn."

"I was about to say the same thing to you." He retorted back.

I laughed heartily.

* * *

"Woah, woah. This is a fine-dining restaurant Genos. Are you sure you want to eat here?" Saitama's sleepiness disappeared the moment he looked around in awe, gaping up at the painted ceilings and chandeliers.

"It's fine. I gave my word about treating you for lunch. Considering that you helped me with my assignment, please accept this as my token of gratitude."

"Okay if you say so..."

A low chuckle made its way through my lips as I witness him acting like a little puppy who just got a new treat. All the extravagant stuff around him is normal for a kid like me. I'd never really thought twice when I chose this place, since I'm an heir to my parent's riches. The smile on my lips quickly faded, however, when we were greeted by the waiters. They are all wearing a classy suit and tie as they bow down. All of them have their hairs slicked back, making their clean faces stand out. One of them, a female approached us.

"Table for two." I told the woman who nodded and lead us to a table before excusing herself.

After we sat down on our seats, I realized that Saitama has his eyes still roaming around the place in wonderment.

"How do you like the pla-" I coughed and nodded to the waitress that made her way over. She handed us two menu book for both of us. Distracted, he sighed and peeked over the menu.

"Are you two ready to order?" She asked.

"I'll have the usual. Slow-cooked Beef Ribs."

"Okay. Would you like anything to drink?" She asked quickly.

"Mango shake please. How about you Saitama?"

The older man quietly asked me almost in a form of whisper with a pressured expression plastered on his face. "Are you in a hurry?"

"No. Have you decided?"

"I dunno..." He muttered in a low tone.

I let another chuckle."Take your time. We're not in a hurry." I suggested calmly.

I've got to admit that I find Saitama interesting even if this is only the second time I met him. He's neither that cold nor very nice and he's very honest. Also, his innocence towards the lavish things around him is entertaining to watch. I find it peculiarly cute...and handsome, unknowingly letting out an amused hum.

"Ah! This one."

I jumped hearing his voice and almost fell out of my chair. He pointed his finger on the dish, showing a picture of Steamed Lobster with Garlic Butter. He swiftly turned his eyes to me when he saw I'm suddenly struggling.

He blinked twice. "Oi Genos are you okay?"

"Wai-...w-wha-Huh?" I snapped back into the reality, dumbfounded and petrified. I felt like my heart had stopped beating at the moment.

 _Why did I even think of that?!_

"I said, are you okay?" He repeated his question, asking me in an anxious manner.

Not wanting to look at him, I shifted my gaze towards the passing waiters who are balancing the dishes on the tray with their hands. I tried to regain my composure and cleared my throat, in attempt to hide my embarrassment. "Yes. Drinks? Wine? Champagne? Juice?" I immediately changed the topic. Heat creeped out on my skin.

He stared at me for a while. "Meh. I'll just have water." He nonchalantly said, closing the menu book as he slightly tossed it on the table.

 _Thank goodness._

"O-okay, your orders should be around soon. Thank you." She said before walking away, obviously baffled with what had happened.

 _Seriously, I had no idea how it surfaced in my mind._

 _I just gave him a compliment, right?_

* * *

Leave a comment if you have any suggestions. I don't really bite. :D


	4. Chapter 3-2

Late update again :(

Part 2 of Lunch

* * *

There was a big yawn that came from my companion.

"Saitama, I suggest you should take a nap after this." I tried persuading him by pointing his current appearance, "Your eyes are groggy."

"Can't. Need to go job hunting." He impassively dismissed my suggestion, his head lazily resting on the table.

His reason was met with skepticism as I crossed my arms, leaning my back on my chair. "You seem to look like passing out anytime soon though. Are you sure?"

"Fuck off. I know what I'm doing." He exclaimed. However, his words lacked some bite due to exhaustion. "Besides, I'm going to starve if I haven't found any job in the next few days."

I narrowed my eyes and frowned but I shrugged it off right after. "Alright then."

Noticing our food are taking too long to be served, I raised my left hand to call an idle waiter and signalled him to follow up our orders.

"Genos."

"Yes?" I instantly glanced back to Saitama.

"An assignment like that should've been given to the students in groups. Don't you think?" He asked me in catatonic voice while staring at nothingness. Probably, his head is going on something entirely.

I raised my brow at the question. "What do you mean?"

"I was thinking that doing a lot of procedures yourself is pretty much tedious, knowing that you also have assignments from other subjects too."

"Well no one in the class volunteered to be my groupmate." I heard him gasped so I quickly added my response. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I can manage."

"Wait...You mean you have no friends?" He backtracked a bit, his eyes practically saying he's surprised.

"Yes. You could say that."

"Oh."

Not expecting his answer, I blinked twice. "And all you can say to that is 'oh'?

"Yeah, oh. I figured you don't have any friends, so... _Oh_." He casually said, shrugging.

I felt sighing at his response but then I remembered that he's not an emotional type of person based on his answers to my survey. "Anyway, how about you?"

"What about me?"

"If you were given a chance, would you pair up or group with your classmates?

"No."

"Eh? Why no?" I leaned forward out of curiosity, focusing my attention to him.

"I procrastinate, I don't stick to plans, I submit late. I prefer accomplishing things alone." He mumbled blankly, grabbing his fork and began fiddling with it.

"Then why did you ask me?"

"Because you look like such a goody-goody who has a lot of friends, judging from your personality. I wanted to confirm."

I nodded in agreement. "Understandable. My parents' friends thought the same too." I paused for a while.

Apparently, there's a desire in my heart that wants me to befriend him. So I closed my eyes and gathered some courage as I breathe. "Say, Saitama. Would like to be my 'friend'?" I asked, hopefully staring straight into his eyes.

"Yeah, sure." He said with his attention focused on scraping the napkin with his fork repeatedly.

Despite his nonchalant response, my face lit up as my lips curled into a wide smile that it almost reach my seemingly red ears. Though I'm unable to grasp the meaning behind on what they call 'feelings'.

"Here you go." The waitress said as she placed our items on the table. "One Lobster with Garlic Butter, one mango shake, and a glass of water. She said our order as she placed them down. "I will be back later to pick up your dishes, please enjoy your meal." We both nodded to her in unison and watched her until she turned around and walked away.

It took a while with us two talking with each other and eating until we managed to finish and settle down once the woman came over to pick up our dishes and give us the bill. Saitama quickly peeked over the receipt. I waited for it to settle in his overly-working brain.

His body suddenly became stiff much to his horror the moment he saw the total amount of payment needed. "SEVEN-THOUSAND YEN JUST FOR TWO MEALS?! THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE!" He abruptly stood and shrieked to the point he caused the whole people inside the restaurant to bolt out of the blue and look at him in both irritation and disbelief.

He exhibited a poker face upon realizing that he created a commotion and slowly sat down. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, I was forced to stifle a laugh as I try to reach for my wallet. I shook my head and took enough money to cover for the total expense, as well as a tip.

"Come!" I directed, pulling the fazed older man to the door. Once we got out of the building, I finally let go of my hold and bursted out in convulsive laughter. My cheeks reddened and stomach hurts from continuous cackle.

"Hahahahaha! Your reaction is priceless! Hahaha-"

A vein popped out on his head in agitation. "I understand it's a fine-dining restaurant but it's _insane_! It's more expensive than my monthly rent!" Saitama yelled again once we were far enough from the building. "I feel like a scammer. You know what I'm saying?!"

Wiping my tears off my eyes, I insistently replied, "I don't think I did. As I've said earlier, it's my token of gratitude, so please just accept it."

"Man, I don't understand rich kids at all." He mumbled and sighed deeply, frowning.

"Yet you seem to be overjoyed when I told you I'm treating you for lunch earlier at your house."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Okay, we here." Saitama commented looking at his doorway then glanced back at me. "Thanks for the food...I guess." He held the door open. "See you again-"

"Wait!" I interrupted. "I should be the one to...th-thank you..." I bowed and kept my head down to hide my growing blush, hence he was unable to see my face.

"...Okay. Ja, I'm going in, bye."

"Yes. Goodbye." There was a wave of sadness come over me, with no clear reason. "IhopeIwillseeyouagainsoon..." I muttered to myself under my breath.

"Eh?"

"Nothing!" I hastily walked towards the stairs and out of the apartment building in evident discomfiture.

 _What's wrong with me?_

 _Whatever I'm currently experiencing, somehow...feels foreign._

* * *

"I'm home."

"Welcome home dear!" A shadow, who turned out to be my mother, greeted me gleefully. "How's your day?"

"Good."

"Oh. Did something special happen? Care to tell?" I removed my shoes and secured it on the shoe rack beside the door then walked pass her to avoid her interrogation. "Nevermind, I can already tell because of your obvious vibrant face."

Her remark made me stop dead in my tracks, petrifying my whole body as it slowly begins to feel heat. "I'll be going to my room."

Mother tried hard but she could not supress a chuckle. "Alright."

Once I got inside my bedroom, I tossed my bodybag to my bed and locked the door in case she wanted to sneak in without my knowledge. She always used to do that to check if I'm doing well or not. Nevertheless, it bothers me a lot even though I get the gist of what she's concerned about. I treaded towards my closet to change my clothes into plain white shirt and black loose pants.

I was thinking about finishing my assignment but I forgot that some people that he had given survey forms are not responding through email and cellphone messages. With that, I decided to drop my task until tomorrow and just relax for now. I flopped down on my bed, covering my head with a pillow.

For some reason, I had the urge to grab my phone. After I reached it from my bag, without a blink, I texted Saitama.

 **Me: Hey.**

I said simply, tossing my phone off to the side to watch some reality show on the flat screen television hanging on the wall. It took a few minutes of waiting before I actually heard my phone vibrate.

 **S: What.**

 **Me: How's your job hunt?**

 **S: Didn't go.**

I was a bit perplexed by his statement.

 **Me: What? Why?**

 **S: Got lazy**.

The colorful commercial of a shampoo distracted me from my phone for a while. I'm not buying their marketing strategy but I commend the program itself for its creativity.

 **Me: Yeah, I can see that through the way you reply.**

 **S: Ha, yep.**

 **Me: I guess you're gonna starve then.**

 **S: Go cry in the corner because I won't.**

 **Me: But you said yourself that you're a lazy ass.**

 **S: I call it relaxing.**

 **Me: That's idiotic. It's basically the same thing.**

 **S: But the spelling isn't**.

I litrally shook my head in dismay. This guy...

 **Me: You must be kidding me.**

 **S: Maybe.**

I sat there for a moment contemplating what to respond with. He added another reply when I was about to type back.

 **S: I know, I'm a genius.**

 **Me: Cocky bastard.**

 **S: Just admit your intellectual capacity can't reach mine.**

I coughed on the snarky message. So he's attacking my logical capabilities now?

 **Me: Are you challenging me?**

 **S: No shit. Unless you want me to explode in space, then no.**

Unable to comprehend his statement, I changed the topic.

 **Me: Shouldn't you be sleeping? It's 9:12 pm.**

 **S: I'm trying but someone interrupted me.**

 **Me: Oh. Then I bid you good night.**

 **S: Okay.**

 **Me: Try the following method. These may help you induce sleep. First, turn off all electronics. To fall asleep, your body increases levels of hormones which induce sleepiness as it gets darker outside. This makes you tired and ready to crawl into bed shortly after it has gotten completely dark.**

 **Second, take a hot soak. Raising the temperature of your skin increases those feelings of sleepiness and makes your journey to deep sleep happen a bit faster.**

 **Third, keep it dark. Bright lights, not just from electronics, can be a big damper on falling asleep. They trick your body into thinking it is too early in the day for sleep, and prevent an increase in hormones responsible for sleepiness.**

 **Fourth, indulge yourself in a warm drink. Sipping on something warm and calming will relax your body and mind. Avoid drinking anything with caffeine, but drink something small, soft, and sweet shortly before bed.**

 **And...**

 **S: Oi, chill out man!**

 **Me: Or...just count some sheep 'till you fall asleep.**

 **S: Right.**

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Leave a comment if you have any suggestions.


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